Newark, NY - Since 2013, the Wayne County Partnership has kept a watchful eye on the well-being of our youth through the Evalumetrics Youth Survey (EYS). The EYS is a biannual survey that asks students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades to self-report on questions related to environmental challenges, such as violence, substance abuse, poverty, food insecurity, etc., and positive protective factors in their lives, such as community connectedness, involvement, stability, security, etc.
By monitoring survey results, members of the Partnership have data by which to assess the results of their efforts to improve the lives of the people they are serving. Overall, the numbers have indicated slow, but steady, improvements in the lives of our young people.
The results of the latest EYS (in 2023), however, showed that our 10th-grade girls, in particular, were feeling disconnected from their families and communities and that an alarming percentage were practicing self-harm, engaging in unhealthy activities, or had considered, or planned, suicide.
When Jill Harper and the Optimal Health team for Wayne County Community Schools viewed this information, they couldn’t sit by and wait. They immediately began assembling a team of healthcare, mental health, and behavioral specialists to see what could be done to help this cohort of vulnerable young ladies.
The result was Empower ME, a day-long conference, filled with interactive learning sessions and activities specifically designed to let these girls know that they are valuable.
“What we want the girls to know today is that there are many people who care about them,” says Harper. “That their lives matter. That they have the skills to make positive choices. We just want them to know that they’re important to their friends, to their family, and to their communities, and there are many safe adults that are here to help support them as they navigate their high school career and beyond."
170 10th-grade girls from all across Wayne County attended the Empower ME conference held in October. Twenty agencies and organizations lent their talents, knowledge, and resources to provide exercises in mindfulness, self-regulation, nutrition, positive self-affirmation, healthy decision making, proper sleep habits, and the benefits of movement on physical, emotional, and mental health.
“We believe this collaborative community effort is one important step toward realizing our vision of having a generation of empowered young women who are ready to share a brighter future for themselves and for their community,” says Harper.
By all accounts, the event was a huge success, and attendees report a positive and helpful experience. Plans are already underway for Empower ME 2025. Anyone interested in sponsoring or participating in next year’s conference should contact Jill Harper at jharper@soduscsd.org
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